Vongayi Mufara #WorkersDayZW2021

Today we commemorate, honour and celebrate all the workers who continue to anchor Zimbabwe's economy. We join workers to fight for political, economic and social justice. Workers deserve a decent wage and the Zimbabwean government should set the pace by remunerating civil servants adequately.

The government is criminalising workers unions by targeting and unlawfully incarcerating union leaders in an effort to silent dissent. The acting president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), Dr. Peter Magombeyi made international headlines after he was abducted from his home in Harare by suspected state security agents for organising a strike by government doctors to demand better salaries. Magombeyi was discovered four days later after being dumped in the bush 40 kilometres west of Harare-allegedly tortured and poisoned by his captors.

According to the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, at least 18 people have been killed in demonstrations since Mnangagwa took power. Meanwhile hundreds of trade unionists and campaigners continue to be harassed, arrested, raped and abducted for peacefully gathering to express their frustration at living in a country with the highest inflation rate and unemployment levels while the cost of living continue to soar beyond all reasonable proportion. People who have jobs are rarely paid enough to survive, that is if they are paid at all

The arrest of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) leaders President Peter Mutasa and Secretary General Japhet Moyo after organising a six-day work ‘stay away’ in January 2019 against inflation, rising fuel costs and shortages of daily food essentials. Mutasa, Moyo, other members of the ZCTU leadership and their families face deaths threats and continue to be harassed. 

Obert Masaraure, president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe(ARTUZ)  was arrested following the june 22 (2020) demostrations by ARTUZ members in Masvingo as they were demanding that their salaries be paid in US dollars. Teacher who are currently on strike continue to be victimised and harrassed by the regime as they apply the NO WORK NO PAY labour principle to all cases of teacher absenteeism.

According to the Zimbabwe’s Nurses Union, protesting nurses were harassed and arrested in July 2020 after demanding to be paid in U.S. dollars as inflation was running at nearly 800%, eroding their salaries. They said they had to protest because they could not survive on a monthly salary of $50 as the regime continue to loot and plunder public funds.

The government continue to trample on fair, safe labour practices and decent wages. It is shocking that the state would criminalise genuine union activities guaranteed by the law and basic labour rights. I call upon all workers to stand and fight against oppression by employers. I call upon civil servants to continue to fight and demand what is rightfully theirs. We cannot stand and watch the regime continue to loot public funds at the expense of workers. I call upon the government of Zimbabwe to respect the rights of workers to protest austerity measures and condemn the acts of violence and intimidation.

#WorkersDay2021

Author: Vongayi Mufara is a human rights activist and the Information and Publicity Secretary of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on vongayimufara@gmail.com